Walker missed Saturday's game with his reoccurring knee pain, and the team is evaluating the soreness and should have a better idea of how to treat the injury next week, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Cheer up, Bobcats fans. At least you have Kemba Walker. The ex-UConn star's sophomore campaign is one (of very few) reasons NBA fans in the Carolinas can be optimistic about the future. He played in all 82 games, averaging just under 35 minutes per game, and improved in every phase of the game last season, boosting his scoring to 17.7 ppg (from 12.1), his assists to 5.7 (from 4.4), his steals from 0.9 to 2.2 and his overall shooting percentage from a ghastly 37 percent to a respectable 42 percent from the floor – thanks in part to improved shot selection. Of course, he still has plenty of room for improvement – he turns the ball over far too often, and his three-point shot (32 percent) should probably be labeled "For emergency use only." The presence of free-agent signee Al Jefferson - an honest-to-goodness low-post scoring threat – should help diversify the Bobcats' offense a bit, but Walker is still the team's primary (only?) real option on the perimeter, and should continue to put up very good numbers.

2012-13

Walker had a mostly lackluster rookie campaign for an awful Bobcats team, scoring 12.1 points per game on a horrid 36.6 percent shooting. The shooting should only improve in his second year, but likely not enough for it to be anything but below average for a point guard. Instead, Walker’s value will be rooted in the significant playing time he is expected to receive, which would allow him to accumulate solid scoring, assist and rebound numbers. Mostly coming off the bench as a backup to D.J. Augustin last season, Walker managed to receive 27.2 minutes per game, putting up 4.4 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game in addition to his scoring numbers. Even though he faces a similar situation to last season, albeit with a different veteran (Ramon Sessions) playing ahead of him, Walker should reach 30 minutes of action in sophomore season. Walker will need to improve his shooting to be considered a remotely elite option at the position, but his respectable all-around numbers should make him at least deserving of a roster spot in most leagues.

2011-12

Walker is another score-first point guard that Charlotte added to the roster in the 2011 draft. Walker should see plenty of time in a rotation that could mainly revolve around Augustin, Henderson and himself. There is not much scoring punch on the Bobcats this year so Walker could be asked to just put the ball in the net whenever he can. It would not be surprising to see Walker average double-digit points per game by the end of the season.